New techniques record ancient art of ancestors

Sonny Secombe gets a closer look at the rock art figures, thought to be two adults and a child, on a cave wall in the Grampians.
Picture: Jason South

Deep in the Grampians, Ricci Marks perches on a ledge in an Aboriginal rock shelter. He and his cousin, Sonny Secombe, are among a group of young indigenous people examining Aboriginal art.

As one of the youths presses a plastic sheet on to the rock, Mr Marks, 21, takes a thick pen from his pocket to trace the outline of a left hand painted in ochre on the ancient rock face.

Whose hand is it? They can't solve that mystery, but the group - attending a week-long field school in the Grampians - is mastering new techniques to record their history.

Up the range, through dense scrub, they encounter another example of rock art: three stick figures in white ochre. Mr Secombe, 20, marvels at the fine lines of the image. It's a rarity to see such a motif on this side of the ranges.

"It's probably depicting a sighting of white men in the area," he said. "It proves how old Aboriginal culture really is."

Once, indigenous history was told by word of mouth - ancient stories passed down the generations. But that is now being complemented by other ways to read the past.

Some of the students, from the Gundjimara, Djapwhurrong and Jardwadjali peoples, have never seen rock art in a natural setting.

Examples are found across the Grampians, but some work has been vandalised and some naturally eroded.

Spotting the art is a feat in itself. With help from professional archaeologists, the group - all but one are male as rock art is "men's business" - note the type, size and location of different motifs.

As part of a field school funded by the State Government and ATSIC, the group has also seen ancient stone quarries, stone artefacts and even observed the use of satellite imaging to locate sites.

These activities will help communities manage their cultural heritage and protect it for their children, Victoria's Aboriginal Affairs Minister Gavin Jennings said.